Greenock mum ‘lost 6 stone’ for sake of daughter

ALISTAIR MUNRO

A Scottish mum has told how she was driven to lose almost six stone by documenting her weight loss on social media.

Ashleigh Munn, 24, of Greenock, decided to lose weight for the sake of her daughter, Mya, who inspired her to live a healthier lifestyle.

Ashleigh Munn before her weight loss

She had reached 16 stone and was forced to use crutches during the latter stages of pregnancy because her hip and pelvis bones could not longer take her weight.

Ms Munn, an early education and childcare student at West College, found further motivation to lose weight when she was rushed to hospital with stomach pains and doctors discovered a melon-sized cyst on her ovary.

She believes her weight had contributed to the growth of the cyst.

The proud mother decided to lose weight because she couldn’t tell her daughter Mya to live a health lifestyle if she and her father David didn’t.

I didn’t want my little girl Mya, to grow up with her mum not running around, and eating rubbish. I wanted to be the best role model

She said: “I would see mums at playgroups running about but I was too embarrassed and aware of my size, and I’d get out of breath quickly.

“I didn’t want my little girl Mya to grow up with her mum not running around, and eating rubbish. I wanted to be the best role model.

“Now I’ve learnt how to cook, I go to the gym, I do yoga, I can run, and I go walking a lot with Mya and David, and I feel good in myself.”

Ashleigh Munn - before and after

Ms Munn said her problems began when she used her pregnancy as an excuse to eat junk food.

She had to be on crutches for the last month of her pregnancy due to suffering from symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) – pelvic pain which she described as her hip bones and pelvis rubbing together because of the pressure from her weight.

By the time Mya was born in January 2014, Miss Munn had ballooned to 16 stone and was wearing a size 18.